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Friday, February 19, 2010

Cobweb Dress Design: Laurel-Gayatin WWD Plagiarism Issue

Philippines premier fashion designer Rajo Laurel and Cebu-based fashion designer Arcy Gayatin are both embroiled into accusations and speculations of plagiarism over a cobweb dress that has landed Laurel on the cover of Women’s Wear Daily or WWD.

The stemmed when Rajo Laurel was given the titled “Licence to Web” by WMD on it February 9 issue and some fellow Filipino designers called him a “copycat”.

Everything became even more controversial when Arcy Gayatin posted some of her cobweb dress designs on her Facebook page calling these photos and online pictures posted as “my 6-year old cobweb collection.”

Many different reactions and comments were written on Gayatin’s Facebook page like that of designer Vittorio Barba saying,

“Nice!!! I want one for myself (sic) Arcy. A simple t-shirt or a vest. Then I can wear it inm (sic) front of the copy cats!!!”

Rajo Laurel defended his part over his cobweb designed dress collection that first appeared on his Fall 2010 Collection called “Cobweb” saying that cobweb technique on fashion design and making fabrics has been used for so long even taking some time in the center stage of fashion design in the 80’s. He said he was hurt the accusations of plagiarism.

Gayatin for her part said that she does not really want to make a big issue out of it and she admires Rajo’s genius. All that she wanted was to post the pictures of her design 6 years ago as per the encouragement of her friends.

Rhett Eala, another fashion designer who popularized the shirt with a map of the Philippines, and friend of the two expressed his thoughts about the plagiarism issue saying,

“You’re the leader. If they copy you, it’s flattering. So you see, the former leaders are now followers…It is crab mentality. I don’t think Arcy would’ve been able to put it on WWD, and Rajo did. Six years ago, [Gayatin’s collection] wasn’t picked by WWD.”